Today, I had something special planned for Doryn and I, we
were set to visit the place I lived in as a child; some where
I haven’t been in over 30 years. We woke up and got ready for our day, walked a
few blocks until we found a Chinese restaurant, because the one across the
street didn’t have any seating available. We had just walked about 6 blocks and
found China Fun, a cute place on the outside and decorated like an upscale
restaurant on the inside. We found a seat and enjoyed a delicious meal. As we
sat there, I felt nervous about seeing where I grew up, it was where my mom and
my dad lived, before he died of cancer…. But looking at the smile on Doryn’s
face and hearing him laugh always makes me happy and in a way centers me. J As we sat there a woman next to us
talked with us, she had heard our conversation and knew we were visiting. She
suggested we go to a Broadway show and gave us ideas about cheaper pricing. She
was sweet, we thanked her for her suggestions and let her know we were leaving
tomorrow… I can’t believe 5 days have gone by so fast!
Next, Doryn and I were off, looking for the best spot to call
an Uber, I will admit I prefer Ubers over Taxis, after trying both over the
past few days. J We were
driven by a nice New York native who was a regular Uber drive and enjoyed it.
We drove through the FDR Bridge and I knew it when I saw it, as if I was a
little kid looking out the window of a car. Those apartments at Waterside Plaza
were just as huge as I remembered. I could see the one building that housed the
indoor pool I used to enjoy with my school age friends, I was so excited and
nervous. The car drove up to building 40 at Waterside plaza, right near the
Hudson River and the helicopter company that sat near our apartment complex. He
dropped us off and as I walked up to the Hudson, I looked across the water and
up at the building. I started to cry, for so many reasons. One of the many was
because I lived there with my mom and dad, and my dad had died of cancer when I
was little, I had so many wonderful memories there and they were all flooding
back to me. Across the street was NY Medical Center, where I was born. The
other thought that rushed through my head was the fact that when I had cancer,
most of my friends didn’t think I would make it to my 27th birthday,
let alone me visiting my apartment complex nearly 32 years later, after beating
terminal cancer twice. It was like a downpour of emotions, but beyond worth the
visit.
We walked around the inside of the complex, along the Hudson,
up the stairs to the courtyard area. As I walked up there I looked at where the
playground I used to play for hours was, they had replaced it with a designed
concrete walking area, surrounding it were areas with lush trees, vibrant
flowers and plants with sitting areas throughout. I remembered being a kid
playing in the tunnels in the playground with my childhood boyfriend ( I think
I was 5 at the time) and having a blast. We walked more and looked at the local
shops that still remained there – the cleaners, the mini mart, the pharmacy and
a café. Doryn and I went in for a coffee, a drink and a snack and just sat
there as I reminisced about my childhood.
Ok memory alert! When I was a kid living in Waterside, one of
my best girlfriends’ moms was low income and I would go to her home often for
dinner, but her mom always prepared these huge pots of food to last them a few
days. Our favorite meal? It was Spaghetti with either shredded chicken or hot
dogs with ketchup. Instead of tomato sauce, her mom used lots of ketchup. From
time to time I do that randomly, it’s different and a little tangy but kinda
good in a weird way. I like the memories associated with it!
Doryn and I enjoyed our walk around Waterside plaza and then
walked to a good spot to call an Uber. While our day isn’t quite over. I’d like
to say that today was one of my favorite days, because we took time out to
enjoy something I never thought I’d be able to again and I am so thankful for
that. Thank you Doryn for being my rock and being by my side throughout this
day and this wonderful journey. To pick me up when I’m down and need you to
bring me up! <3 span="">
Tonight we plan on a last dinner in New York at Fratelli. I
am bringing more frozen dessert bites to the guys and their staff – Jasmine Pineapple!!
Delicious!! Also bringing Marc and Johnny some kits for them to give away to
cancer patients and their families that visit their café from the local cancer
centers in the area! Spreading the word any way we can!!
After dinner we’ll be off to bed for our trip out of New York
Tomorrow and onto another state to visit and meet more of our patients!!
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